The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Coral Pilarxe2x80x99.
The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a mutation induction breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Alva, Fla. The objective of the program is to create new Chrysanthemum cultivars with describe inflorescence form and floret colors, good substance, and good postproduction longevity.
The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary induced mutation that originated by exposing unrooted cuttings of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Dark Pilar, disclosed in U.S. Plant. Pat. No. 10,753, to X-ray radiation. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of the irradiated selection in November, 1997, in Alva, Fla. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form and floret colors and good postproduction longevity.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla., has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Coral Pilar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Coral Pilarxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Coral Pilarxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Anemone-type inflorescences that are about 6.7 cm in diameter and with large anemone centers.
2. Attractive dark coral pink ray florets and yellow-tipped disc florets.
3. Very freely flowering habit with numerous inflorescences per stem.
4. Early flowering, response time is about 51 days.
5. Dark green foliage.
6. Thick and strong stems.
7. Good postproduction longevity with inflorescences maintaining good substance and color for about three or four weeks in an interior environment.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Dark Pilar primarily in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Dark Pilar have purple-colored ray florets.